2006年VOA标准英语-Mauritanians Overwhelmingly Approve Term Limits

By Nico Colombant
Abidjan
26 June 2006

Mauritania Junta¹ leader Col. Ely Ould Mohamed Vall, left seen talking to media after he placed his referendum vote in the city of Nouakchott, Mauritania,  June 25, 2006   
  
Mauritanians have overwhelmingly approved term limits for elected presidents in a referendum marking the first of many planned polls during the transition from military to democratic rule. Although the results are only partial, they send a clear signal of Mauritanians' desire for change.

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The results indicate more than 95 percent of Mauritanians from throughout the country approved the constitutional changes. They include replacing open-ended six-year presidential mandates² with two five-year terms.

Candidates are required to be between 40 and 75. Any elected president will have to swear on the Koran that he or she will not alter the law on term limits.

A journalist who was waiting for the release of the official results, Salem Bokari, says there is a feeling of a transition being well done.

"People are very happy in many places in the capital of this West Africa nation, Nouakchott. [They are] so grateful, and expressed their congratulations for the vote of the big majority of the voters Sunday to accept the amendments³, which are considered here in this country as a very good thing for the future of this country," he said.

Turnout has been estimated at 75 percent in this mostly desert, sparsely⁴ populated, and newly oil-producing West African nation.

Observers from the Arab League said they were impressed by the motivation of voters.

A transitional group, which toppled long-term President Maaouiya Ould Taya in August last year, organized the referendum.

The 'yes' vote paves the way for November municipal and lower house elections, senate elections in January, and a presidential poll in March.

Members of the military government have pledged not to run.

The few opponents to a 'yes' vote in the referendum had expressed disappointment an anti-slavery clause was not included in the constitutional changes. Slavery is banned by several laws, but there are repeated reports that it is still practiced in some remote areas of Mauritania

1 junta   

n.团体；政务审议会

参考例句：

• The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.军政府感到自身权力受威胁而进行了激烈反击。
• A military junta took control of the country.一个军政权控制了国家。

2 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。

3 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

4 sparsely   

adv.稀疏地；稀少地；不足地；贫乏地

参考例句：

• Relative to the size, the city is sparsely populated. 与其面积相比，这个城市的人口是稀少的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The ground was sparsely covered with grass. 地面上稀疏地覆盖草丛。 来自《简明英汉词典》